This invention relates generally to the field of air handling, and more particularly to a hinged panel in an air handler cabinet.
Many air handling units in the prior art are simply fabricated from sheet metal ducts that are brought together in the field to establish an enclosed flow path through which air is conducted. The sheet metal walls of the ducts readily conducts heat and provide little in the way of a thermal barrier so that energy flows into or out of the duct work. When the air handling unit is conducting conditioned air, this flow of energy into or out of the duct work is costly and places an unwanted load on the air conditioning equipment.
In addition, when the air handling unit is installed in an unconditioned space and is carrying cooled air, the outer casing of the unit xe2x80x9csweats.xe2x80x9d The moisture so developed runs off the unit onto the floor or equipment contained in the unconditioned space. This in turn leads to a safety hazard for people working in the area and causes damage to the equipment.
The traditional method for attaching AHU panels to each other is to use mechanical fasteners such as screws that are time consuming to remove and install, prone to getting lost and can strip out. Removal of the panels for equipment installation and maintenance is time consuming and does not allow complete access to the unit""s interior. Other similar panel retention designs place the retainer within the panel. If the retainer fails and requires replacement, the entire panel must then be replaced. Placing the retainer within the panel also places the retainer in the inner conditioned air stream, leading to external sweating or the use of expensive composite retainers to avoid sweating.
Occasionally, air handling equipment which is placed inside the AHU needs servicing. Frequently, simply removing a panel does not provide enough access for the necessary servicing. Since one of the purposes of this new AHU is to eliminate traditional mechanical fasteners such as screws whenever possible, a structure providing easy access to the interior of the AHU for servicing is needed.
Briefly stated, an air handling unit (AHU) includes a frame structure and panels that are assembled to provide ducting for handling air. Some panels include a living hinge which is one-piece with a panel perimeter. The living hinge is mounted onto side pieces of the frame structure and latched with a latching mechanism. A hollow compressible seal is attached to the side pieces such that closing and latching the hinged panels provides a sealing fit between the hinged panel and the frame structure.
According to an embodiment of the invention, an air handling unit includes a frame structure which includes a plurality of side pieces; a hinged panel which fits into a corresponding opening in said frame structure; and a living hinge on said hinged panel connectable to one of said side pieces.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a hinged panel for an air handling unit includes first and second covers; a panel perimeter, wherein said first cover and said second cover are held in spaced apart relationship with plastic foam entirely filling a cavity thus formed between said first and second covers and said panel perimeter; and a living hinge connected to said panel perimeter.